'Jake brake' noise on Hwy. 64 brought before board

Published: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 6:12 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 6:12 p.m.

An Edneyville resident presented county commissioners with a petition Wednesday signed by 31 of her neighbors, begging them to pass an ordinance to rein in the use of engine compression brakes, or “jake brakes.”

Rebecca Coleman told commissioners that she'd never been bothered by braking noise from trucks on Chimney Rock Road in the nearly 10 years she and her husband have lived on nearby Slick Rock Road until one trucking company started applying them recently.

The company in question has been hauling timber from a logging site on Hog Rock Road to Bat Cave and on to Rutherford County, she said. After being awakened by the chattering brakes at 6 a.m. June 18, Coleman called the sheriff's office and asked for advice.

“And I was told normally what often works is if you'll contact the owner of the company and speak with them about your concerns,” she said, which Coleman did. “I thought we'd resolved it. He had agreed to ask his drivers to cease doing that.”

But afterward, Coleman said “it got even louder,” she thinks in retaliation for her complaint. Thirty of her neighbors agreed the noise was unbearable, signing a petition asking commissioners to pass an ordinance similar to Fletcher's and Hendersonville's laws banning compression brakes on certain stretches of road.

Commissioners seemed sympathetic to their concerns, but said there was little they could do. While municipalities are allowed to pass laws dictating use of their city-owned streets, counties can't regulate such things because “they don't own the roads,” said County Attorney Russ Burrell. The state does.

Commissioner Larry Young said “jake brakes” are supposed to be used by truckers only in emergencies or on steep grades.

“However, as usual, there's some cowboys that drive these trucks that like to apply these brakes to hear them pop,” he said. “As far as our authority, I don't think we have any because it's on state highways they're running on.”

“I think our hands are tied with what we can do,” agreed Chairman Charlie Messer.

Commissioner Mike Edney suggested Messer “write a letter to that company expressing our concerns and ask them to address it and look into it and let us know if there's something we need to do further, beyond asking them to regulate themselves.”

Code Enforcement Director Toby Linville researched the issue after hearing residents' complaints and said he could find no other county in North Carolina that regulates the use of engine compression brakes.

He said the N.C. Department of Transportation is seeking approval to allow counties to install signs prohibiting “unmuffled engine braking.” But DOT officials cautioned him that erecting such signs “without active and consistent enforcement can lead to an increase” in jake braking.

Burrell questioned how much time the sheriff's department could devote to enforcing a ban on unmuffled engine braking.

“It's not something that's going to be easily enforced, because I don't think you can do it from the inside of a patrol car,” he said.

What's in a name?

In other business, commissioners voted 3-0 to deny a request from a Zirconia landowner to rename his street after his deceased wife. It was the second time in three months William Virginia petitioned the board to change his street in the Cobblestone subdivision off Greenville Highway.

In April, commissioners denied Virginia's request to change Yorkshire Boulevard to “Barbaras Mountain Place,” in honor of his wife who died Jan. 15.

“All the (cancer) treatments finally took a toll on her and she could no longer fight,” said daughter Tracey. “We thought the perfect way to memorialize such an amazing woman was to name our new street after her.”

Admitting he had “mixed emotions,” Vice Chairman Tommy Thompson said he opposed the first name change because Barbaras Mountain Place “was just too much.” With two out of three landowners on the cul-de-sac now in opposition to the change, “I can't see going against their desires,” he added.

Young said the board started changing road names to avoid duplications that would confuse emergency personnel responding to 911 calls.

“To memorialize people by naming a street after them is a pretty big deal because it changes it in all the minds of the EMS and the emergency people,” he said. “And I feel that Yorkshire is maybe a name that would incorporate all the people that live on it.”

Commissioners also agreed to offer Cane Creek Cycling Components of Fletcher $31,854 in incentives over seven years if they make good on a proposed $1.09 million plant expansion that would create 55 new jobs.

The company, which manufactures double-barrel shocks, lightweight headsets and other bicycle components, is contemplating a physical expansion of its Cane Creek Road facility worth at least $750,000, along with $345,500 in new equipment.

<p>An Edneyville resident presented county commissioners with a petition Wednesday signed by 31 of her neighbors, begging them to pass an ordinance to rein in the use of engine compression brakes, or “jake brakes.”</p><p>Rebecca Coleman told commissioners that she'd never been bothered by braking noise from trucks on Chimney Rock Road in the nearly 10 years she and her husband have lived on nearby Slick Rock Road until one trucking company started applying them recently.</p><p>The company in question has been hauling timber from a logging site on Hog Rock Road to Bat Cave and on to Rutherford County, she said. After being awakened by the chattering brakes at 6 a.m. June 18, Coleman called the sheriff's office and asked for advice.</p><p>“And I was told normally what often works is if you'll contact the owner of the company and speak with them about your concerns,” she said, which Coleman did. “I thought we'd resolved it. He had agreed to ask his drivers to cease doing that.”</p><p>But afterward, Coleman said “it got even louder,” she thinks in retaliation for her complaint. Thirty of her neighbors agreed the noise was unbearable, signing a petition asking commissioners to pass an ordinance similar to Fletcher's and Hendersonville's laws banning compression brakes on certain stretches of road.</p><p>Commissioners seemed sympathetic to their concerns, but said there was little they could do. While municipalities are allowed to pass laws dictating use of their city-owned streets, counties can't regulate such things because “they don't own the roads,” said County Attorney Russ Burrell. The state does.</p><p>Commissioner Larry Young said “jake brakes” are supposed to be used by truckers only in emergencies or on steep grades. </p><p>“However, as usual, there's some cowboys that drive these trucks that like to apply these brakes to hear them pop,” he said. “As far as our authority, I don't think we have any because it's on state highways they're running on.”</p><p>“I think our hands are tied with what we can do,” agreed Chairman Charlie Messer. </p><p>Commissioner Mike Edney suggested Messer “write a letter to that company expressing our concerns and ask them to address it and look into it and let us know if there's something we need to do further, beyond asking them to regulate themselves.”</p><p>Code Enforcement Director Toby Linville researched the issue after hearing residents' complaints and said he could find no other county in North Carolina that regulates the use of engine compression brakes.</p><p>He said the N.C. Department of Transportation is seeking approval to allow counties to install signs prohibiting “unmuffled engine braking.” But DOT officials cautioned him that erecting such signs “without active and consistent enforcement can lead to an increase” in jake braking.</p><p>Burrell questioned how much time the sheriff's department could devote to enforcing a ban on unmuffled engine braking.</p><p>“It's not something that's going to be easily enforced, because I don't think you can do it from the inside of a patrol car,” he said.</p><p>What's in a name?</p><p>In other business, commissioners voted 3-0 to deny a request from a Zirconia landowner to rename his street after his deceased wife. It was the second time in three months William Virginia petitioned the board to change his street in the Cobblestone subdivision off Greenville Highway.</p><p>In April, commissioners denied Virginia's request to change Yorkshire Boulevard to “Barbaras Mountain Place,” in honor of his wife who died Jan. 15. </p><p>“All the (cancer) treatments finally took a toll on her and she could no longer fight,” said daughter Tracey. “We thought the perfect way to memorialize such an amazing woman was to name our new street after her.”</p><p>Admitting he had “mixed emotions,” Vice Chairman Tommy Thompson said he opposed the first name change because Barbaras Mountain Place “was just too much.” With two out of three landowners on the cul-de-sac now in opposition to the change, “I can't see going against their desires,” he added. </p><p>Young said the board started changing road names to avoid duplications that would confuse emergency personnel responding to 911 calls.</p><p>“To memorialize people by naming a street after them is a pretty big deal because it changes it in all the minds of the EMS and the emergency people,” he said. “And I feel that Yorkshire is maybe a name that would incorporate all the people that live on it.”</p><p>Commissioners also agreed to offer Cane Creek Cycling Components of Fletcher $31,854 in incentives over seven years if they make good on a proposed $1.09 million plant expansion that would create 55 new jobs. </p><p>The company, which manufactures double-barrel shocks, lightweight headsets and other bicycle components, is contemplating a physical expansion of its Cane Creek Road facility worth at least $750,000, along with $345,500 in new equipment.</p><p>___</p><p>Reach Axtell at than.axtell@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7860.</p>